The Marine Turtles of Belize

Abstract

When the author visited Belize in 1983 and 1984 to survey the turtle fauna of that country, to which the Oryx 100% Fund contributed £500, he was able to collect some information on the three marine turtle species that nest on Belize’s beaches and forage along the coast. All three species are exploited in the country and, although there is a degree of legal protection, the ban on egg-collecting is widely ignored, turtles are taken for their meat in the closed season, and tortoise-shell jewellery and curios still find a ready market among tourists from abroad. © 1985, Fauna and Flora International. All rights reserved.